The little bird awoke in his shell. Instinct told him it was time. With
much effort, he emerged into a warm sterile world. A machine had hatched
him. Instinct told him there should have been more. Exhausted from his
efforts, he dozed. His little lungs filled with warm moist air as he
dried. A sudden noise started him awake and cold rough hands picked him
up. Frightened, he didn't take notice of the cold air as he was
transported to somewhere else. He peeped with uncertainty but no one
answered. In this new place, there was light and warmth. He heard the
peeping of others like him but he couldn't feel them. He peeped back.
Still tired, he slept a dreamless sleep.

After a time, instinct told him he was hungry. He struggled to sit up,
stretching his neck and peeping. But there was no one there. He kept
peeping. Instinct told him something would happen but nothing did. Once
again he was exhausted and he slept. After a time, gentler hands picked
him up. A soft voice rumbled near him and he took some comfort from the
sensation. Fingers pressing against the sides of his beak awoke instinct
again and he begged to be fed. Warm fluid filled his beak and crop as he
chugged on the stone-hard vessel which fed him. He wasn't sure it was
but instinct told him it should have been something more.

Time went on and feeding came and went. Days went by and the little bird
grew and grew. Soon he was placed with other like him. How comforting to
feel the soft warm flesh of clutch mates. All the little birds cuddled
together, contented by the presence of others. Feedings came and went.

Days went by and all the little birds grew and grew. One day the feeder
came. The little bird sat up, stretching his neck as high as it would
go, trying to out-cheap the other babies so he would be fed first. As
the feeder approached, he saw her for the first time. She smiled at him
and cooed, "Look who's eyes have opened today. Come on, step
up." She picked up the little bird and talked softly to him as she
fed him. Once full she quickly placed him back in the tub and turned her
attentions to the other babies. Instinct told him there should have been
more attention.

The days went by and the little birds feathered. Instinct told them many
things. They practiced flapping their heavily laden wings to gain flight
muscles. They sampled and played with the hard dry food which was placed
in their tub daily. They tried perching on the little stick which was
placed in their tub. Curiosity caused them to play with the brightly
colored rings which had been slipped onto their legs. Days passed. The
feeders came less often.

One day, a man came and took the babies out of their nice warm tub where
they had been safe and secure. He put them in a cool airy cage. The
babies looked around, unsure of what to do. But soon they realized there
was much more room. They stretched and flapped, chirping with glee. The
explored their new surroundings and tested everything with their beaks.
Soon instinct told them it was time to fly.

One day when the feeder had the cage door open, the oldest baby slipped
out of the cage and beat his wings as hard as he could. The little body
lifted with ease and the baby flew around the little room with glee.
"That'll be enough of that!" the feeder exclaimed. She quickly
retrieved the baby and restrained him in her hand. She called for the
man who quickly came in. The little bird watched as the two people
clipped the baby's wings. The pitiful little squeaks from the older baby
scared the little bird. He didn't know what was going on. A little
ruffled and shaken up, the oldest baby was placed back in the cage as
another baby was pulled and subjected to the same treatment. The little
bird quaked with terror and hid in the darkest corner. But soon he was
snatched and restrained. One wing was unceremoniously pulled out. Snip
went the scissors. The man had such a tight grip around the little
bird's body that it was hard for him to breathe. The other wing was
pulled out. Snip. The little bird was thrust back in the cage, dazed.
After a little while he tested out his new wings. It felt different.
Instinct told him he couldn't fly now.

Many days passed. The feeders came even less. Instead of the warm fluid
food, the feeders put bowls of hard food and water in the cage for the
babies. Once a day, they also put a bowl of soft warm food for them to
eat. Pretty soon, the feeders didn't give them warm fluid anymore. The
little birds kind of missed that but instinct told them not to worry.

Much time passed. The feeders came by periodically and taught the little
bird to "step up" onto their hands. The little birds were
happy and content in their cage and their way of life. One day, the man
came and put the babies in tiny wooden boxes with a screen on one end.
Each baby was placed in a different box. The little bird was scared. He
could no longer see or feel his clutch mates. The boxes were placed in a
truck with many boxes with many different birds. The little bird looked
in amazement at all the other birds. Some were bigger, some more
colorful. But the little bird was still scared, as were the other birds.
There was the air of apprehension amongst this large flock. Instinct
told him to beware, something bad was happening. Doors closed with a
rusty squeak and the flock found itself in darkness. Nothing to do now
but sleep. The truck rumbled. The thrumming sound became comforting to
the birds. When it stopped, they all became silently alert, waiting for
the bad thing to happen.

After much time, the truck stopped. The doors were opened and boxes were
taken out. The doors closed. The truck rumbled. The flock waited for the
next bad thing to happen. Several more times the truck stopped and boxes
were removed. The little bird watched with fear as terrified birds
disappeared. The little bird wondered when he would disappear.

Before long, the truck stopped and the doors opened. The little bird saw
the man look down at him and he knew he was about to disappear. The man
grabbed the box the little bird was in and whisked him into a building
along with several other boxes. The little bird looked out into a
brightly-lit building with many colorful things. Another man looked in
on the little bird. "He'll do," the new man said. Other things
were said but the little bird was too afraid to pay attention.

After a short time, the box was opened and the little bird was dumped
into a plastic box with a few holes on the top for air. The little bird
looked through the plastic at the new man who returned his gaze.,
"You should go quickly," smiled the man and he left. The
little bird looked around. There were wood chips all over the bottom of
the box. There was a little wooden ladder propped up against one side of
the box. There was a bowl of seeds and a bowl of water. The little bird
scampered over to the ladder and perched on the bottom rung. He looked
sadly around. He was alone. There were no other birds for him to snuggle
with and be comforted. The little bird fluffed his feathers and nestled
his bill in his back. Dejected and depressed, he slept.

Everyday people would come by and look at him. Children would press
their noses up against the plastic. Some would hit the plastic trying to
scare the little bird. Sometimes people would take him out and pass him
to the other people.

Many, many days passed. The little bird would sample the lettuce but
instinct told him it still wasn't enough. One day, there was a man and
women who looked in on him. "He's so pretty." The woman said.
The man said, "Are you sure you want a bird?" "I think a
bird would be the easiest pet for us to take care with our schedule. And
the cheapest....they don't need medical care." the woman replied.
"Okay." the man replied doubtfully. The man told one of store
people that he wanted the little bird.

They helped the people picked out a small cage for the bird with bowls
for water and food. The people picked up a big bag of seed and put it in
the cart with the cage. The store person took the little bird out of the
cage and stuffed him into a tiny cardboard box with tiny little air
holes, "You're finally going home." the store person smiled.
The little bird peered out of the air holes watching where he was going.
He was scared but a little excited about going somewhere new. The little
bird was taken to an apartment. His new cage was set up with a wooden
dowel perch and bowls of seed and water. The people opened the box and
dumped the little bird into the new cage. He looked around and climbed
up onto the perch. He peered out at the two people looking at him and
smiling. "Do you have a name for him yet?' the man asked."
Hmmm, I really haven't thought about it." the woman replied.
"Well, you'll need to call him something." The people walked
off and left the little bird alone. He fluffed his feathers and buried
his beak in his back.

The little bird felt the cage shake as the woman opened the door and
hesitantly put her hand in the opening. "Come on out, baby."
she coaxed. The little bird just looked at her unsure of what to do. As
the hand approached, he put his beak out to touch the hand. The woman
quickly withdrew her hand squealing, "Don't bite me!" The
little bird was puzzled by her reaction. She looked at him sternly and
shook her finger at him. Now the little bird put his beak out to take
hold of the hand so he could step onto it. The woman quickly jerked her
hand out to of the cage and slammed the door shut. "BAD BIRD!"
she yelled and stomped off. The little bird was bewildered. He didn't
understand.

This happened several times over the next few days. Periodically, the
man would look in on the bird and say a word or two. The little bird
heard the man tell the woman, "What good is having a pet if you
can't pick it up?" "Baby is just scared. He'll straighten up
in a few days." she replied huffily. The man shook his head and
walked away. The little bird watched and didn't understand.

After many days, the woman finally had enough courage to let the little
bird take hold of her finger with his beak. He grabbed a hold and
started to put one of his feet on her finger when she flinched. Afraid
of falling, the little bird hung onto the finger a little harder. The
woman shrieked and yanked her hand out of the cage with the little bird
attached. The harder the woman shook her hand, the handler the little
bird clung afraid of falling. Finally, the woman shook her hand so hard
the little bird when skidding across the floor. The man came running
into the room. "What happened?" "That little monster bit
me!" screamed the woman and she examined her bruised finger.
"That's it, the bird is going back." the man stated. The woman
looked at him and then at the little bird and nodded her agreement. The
man took a towel and threw it over the bewildered little bird. He lifted
him and placed him back in the cage. The little bird sat forlornly on
his perch, fluffed and disheartened.

The next day, the man took the little bird back to the store. "The
bird is nasty and vicious." the man told the storeowner. "We
can't handle him." The storeowner peered into the cage at the
little bird with a disgusted look. More words were said and the little
bird soon found himself in the same plastic box he had been in before.

Days and days passed. People came and went. He was poked and prodded,
grabbled and jostled. The little bird soon learned that if he did bite
people they would leave him alone. The store people began calling him
"Tyson" because he bit everyone. The little bird was sad and
despondent. It seemed that no one understood him.

One day, he heard a soft voice call to him. He stirred from his slumber.
Looking out, he saw a bearded man who smiled at him. A woman stood next
to him also staring at the little bird. For some reason, he liked the
woman. "He's a little Meyer's Parrot." the man said. The woman
smiled tolerantly and said, "He IS pretty but we already have
enough birds. Besides, we never planned on getting a Meyer's."
"But he's so lonely in there. He needs a home. Look, they're
feeding him seeds." the man whined jokingly. The woman laughed and
pulled the man away. "We said we'd never buy a bird from a pet
store. Besides they want too much money for him." The little bird
watched the woman leave. He whistled and chirped to draw her attention
but she just walked away. The little bird watched her leave and heaved a
sigh of depression.

Days passed and the couple returned a few more times. Each time smiling
and talking softly to the little bird. When the woman bent close to his
box he would climb down off the ladder and get as close to her as
possible. Often he would bow his head down for her to scratch it not
realizing she couldn't reach through the plexiglass. The woman eyes
sparkled with delight each time she watched him but she always left
without him.

Then one day, several children came running up to his box and pressed
their squealing, excited faces up against the plexiglass. The bird was
startled right off his little ladder. He looked up at a mean looking
woman, who pointed a finger at the bird and said, "Is that the one
you want?" The children screamed in unison, "Yes!" The
woman grabbed one of the store people and said, "We'll take that
little bird." The store people helped her get a cage and some seed.
The little bird peered at them with apprehension. Soon he was grabbed
and thrust into a little cardboard box. He knew something bad was about
to happen.

In his new cage he watched with apprehension as the squealing,
screeching children crowded around his cage. Their chubby dirty fingers
poked at him through the bars. The little bird was scared. He didn't
like this place. The mean looking woman came over screaming,
"Alright … leave the bird alone! It's time for dinner." The
little bird sighed with relief as the pack of squirming children left reluctantly. A
little while later, the children returned, yelling and carrying on as
they played near his cage. The bird watched with dread as the kids
teased and tormented him. They rough-housed, sometimes jostling his
cage. After a time, the bird's foreboding was well founded as the
rambunctious children knocked his cage over. The little bird screeched
with terror as his world tumbled from the table, seeds, and water going
everywhere. The woman came running into the room yelling at the suddenly
quiet children. "LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! LOOK AT THE MESS! WHO'S
GOING TO CLEAN THIS UP?!?!?!" The children slunk away like wounded
puppies. The woman snatched the cage and set it back on the table,
unaware that she had caused the little bird to fall off his perch again.
She chased after the children as the little bird cowered at the bottom
of his cage.

After a few moments, the furor died down and the woman and kids
disappeared to the furthest part of the house. The little bird finally
came out of his catatonic state and climbed up onto his perch. He
shivered. He didn't feel well. He smoothed down some of his broken
feathers and fluffed up, half closing his eyes. He was traumatized. The
woman returned a little later and grumbled as she vacuumed up the mess.
The little bird was too despondent to even notice. A man came into the
room. "What's this?" "Some kind of bird." the woman
snapped back. The lights were turned out and the little bird fell into
an uneasy sleep.

Over the next few days, the children were more careful around his cage
but they continued to tease and torment him. The man would sit near his
cage and smoke while he watched TV.

Soon the little bird began whistling and chirping as the kids played
nearby. The louder the kids got, the louder the bird got. The louder the
bird got, the louder the man turned up the TV. And so it continued
daily. Finally one evening, the man beat his hand against the cage
startling the little bird. "SHUT UP! I can't hear the TV!" The
little bird looked at the man with puzzlement. Soon he was vocalizing
with the rest of the "flock". The man struck his cage and
yelled, "SHUT UP!" The little bird was quiet. But soon the
squeals of the children got him whistling again. Exasperated, the man
roughly grabbed the cage and stormed off with it. The little bird
quickly found himself in a dark bedroom away from the family. He sat
sullenly in the dark as he listened to the distant noise of his
"flock."

The next day, the man took the little bird back to the store. "He's
too noisy." the man grumbled at the store manager who looked at the
little bird with disgust. Once again, the little bird found himself back
in the plastic box.

Days and days passed. People came and went. The little bird didn't pay
attention anymore. If anyone tried to touch him or pick him up, he would
bite them. The store people still called him "Tyson."

One day a soft voice called to him. As if from a dream the little bird
barely heard the voice. The voice was more persistent. The little bird
cracked open an eye. There in front of his face was the woman with the
sparkling eyes. The little bird immediately bowed his head down for her
to scratch it. The woman laughed. The bearded man teasingly said,
"He really needs a home." The woman just laughed, "Yeah
right!" "Maybe we can get someone to let us hold him."
the man looked around. A store person came up quickly and opened the
box. "He bites." the store person warned.

The woman confidently put her hand out and commanded, "step
up." Without hesitation, the little bird stepped up onto the
woman's hand. She pulled him close and scratched his head and cheeks.
The little bird closed his eyes in delight. The man came up and tried to
pick up the little bird but he nipped the man. He wanted to say with the
woman. The store person pointed to another bird and said, "This
one's friendlier." The woman shook her head and continued to pet
the little bird. "We can see whose bird he's going to be!" the
man joked. The woman stopped scratching the little bird's head and
replied sternly, "We don't need another bird." While she stood
there, the little bird began dancing around on her finger, turning his
back to her and dropping his wings trying to entice her. The woman
whispered in amazement, "I think he's doing a mating dance."
The man laughed, "Alright." the woman said, "We have to
go." She placed the little bird back in the box and the store
person locked it saying, "He's been here a while." The woman
looked at the little bird with pity as she left. The little bird watched
her. When he could no longer see her, he fluffed up and slumped back
into his melancholy.

Many days passed and the woman did not return. The little bird waited
and watched for her but she didn't come. He was sad and depressed. He
slept most of the time. No one really talked to him or touched him. He
was alone. One day turned into the next.
"So how's my little Goober?" a voice called out from the fog.
The little bird's beak was buried in his back. "Hey Goobie, it's
me." The bird warily opened an eye. It was the woman! He could
hardly believe it! And she was calling him by a name! Goobie looked at
her as the store person opened his box and attempted to pick him up. The
woman said, "Here, let me do that. Step up!" He stepped onto
her hand as she pulled him from the box. The woman scratched his head
and cheeks. Goobie closed his eyes in ecstasy. The bearded man looked at
him and put his hand out, telling him to step up. Sensing that today was
different, Goobie stepped onto the man's large hand and let him scratch
his head.

The woman turned to the store person and said, "We'll take
him." The store person started telling the woman about Goobie's
life - why they named him Tyson, how he had been sold twice and brought
back for being bitey and noisy. The woman shook her head in disbelief at
the ignorance of people. This time when Goobie was thrust into the box,
he didn't mind. He clung to the side of the box looking out and
whistling with glee. The woman peered back at him and smiled.
When they got into the car, the woman took him out of the box and let
him watch while they drove home. He continued to whistle and dance for
the woman, who giggled with delight. When they reached home, the woman
put Goobie back in the box and took him into the house. He heard the
sound of other birds as he was whisked into a brightly-lit spare
bedroom. The woman opened the box and placed the bird in a cage with
brightly color toys, natural branch perches, a water bottle and food
bowl. Goobie's eyes focused with excitement as he perused all the new
and wonderful things for him to play with. He checked out the food bowl
and noticed the seeds he was used to seeing but there were also other
things in the bowl which he vaguely remembered. Pellets! Goobie grabbed
a brightly colored pellet and began crunching on it. Instinct told him
that he would be alright now. The woman and man smiled at Goobie.
"You'll have to stay in here for a while until the vet checks you
out and we make sure you're alright. Then you'll be able to join the
rest of the flock." Goobie, contented, chomped on his pellet and
listened to the woman's soft voice. They left him alone for a while and
he explored his new and entertaining surroundings.

After a short time, the woman returned and told him, "Good night,
little one." She covered his cage with a sheet and turned the
lights out. Goobie settled onto a high perch and ground his bill as he
drifted off into a pleasant sleep.

Days passed and the man and woman spent much time with the little bird.
They took him to the vet who gave him a proper check up. It was a little
uncomfortable but Goobie didn't mind because the woman cuddled him
afterwards. He actively played with his toys and ate his pellets. He was
given an array of legumes, vegetables, and fruit daily that he relished
greatly and looked forward to every morning.

Days passed and passed. One day, the woman came in and told him,
"Okay, Goobie. It's finally time to meet the rest of the
family." She took him out of his cage and took him into another
much larger room. There the little bird saw many different birds, some
larger than him, some more colorful. The woman took him to each cage and
introduced him to the occupants. Then she walked over to a large
spacious cage, which was empty. "This is your new cage." the
woman told him. Goobie excitedly stepped into the cage. There were lots
of new toys, all different sizes, and shapes. He didn't know what to
play with first! But soon he was lost amidst the jungle of wood, leather
and plastic, biting this and chewing that. The man and woman sat and
watched him and the rest of the flock. The sounds of avian contentment
murmured through the room and the people were content.

As bedtime approached, the woman took Goobie out of his cage and
scratched his head and cheeks. He closed his eyes and basked in the
woman's adoration. She put him to bed, promising to let him out on his
new play-perch the next day. As she covered his cage, Goobie climbed up
to the highest corner perch and settled in for the night. He lifted one
leg into his slightly fluffed up feathers and ground his bill in
contentment.

Finally, at last, Goobie was home for good.

[The story of Goobie is mostly true. He came to live with my husband and
me this past year. He was about 2 years old when we got him and he had
been sold and returned several times for being too noisy and bitey. The
pet store where we bought him did name him "Tyson" because he
bit everyone. But in the proper hands, Goobie has become an absolutely
delightful companion bird! He constantly amazes me with his antics and
intelligence. He's even learned to say his name! As for noisy, those
people who returned him have obviously never heard an Eleanora Cockatoo
in full "play mode!"]

If anyone would like to reprint this just give credit to Lorrie Kinney
along with her email address dragonet@anv.net